Avastin Questions and Answers

The FDA's approval of Avastin marks the beginning of a new era in cancer treatment: the era of angiogenesis inhibitors. Avastin is the first member of this class of drugs to reach the market.

Q: What are angiogenesis inhibitors?

A: Cancers need blood in order to grow. To get enough blood, tumors tell the body to grow new blood vessels. Angiogenesis inhibitors block this process.

Q: How does Avastin work?

A: Avastin is a monoclonal antibody, a synthetic version of antibodies that occur in our bodies, which fight foreign substances. Avastin binds to a molecule called vascular endothelial growth factor or VEGF. VEGF is a key player in the growth of new blood vessels. Avastin turns VEGF off.

Q: Does a person taking Avastin still need chemotherapy?

A: Avastin doesn't work all by itself. Chemotherapy is still needed. But Avastin makes chemotherapy work better.

Q: What kinds of cancer can Avastin help?

A: Avastin is approved for the treatment of cancer of the colon or rectum that has spread to other parts of the body. It must be given along with chemotherapy that includes a drug called 5-fluorouracil or 5-FU. There is evidence that Avastin may help other types of cancer, but decisive clinical trials are not yet complete.

Q: Does Avastin cure colon cancer?

A: No. But Avastin significantly extends survival time. In clinical trials, patients treated with Avastin plus IFL survived about five months longer than patients treated with IFL alone.

Q: What are the side effects of Avastin?

A: Avastin has several serious side effects. Not all patients suffer these side effects. These side effects include:

• Holes in the colon. When this happens, surgery is usually required.
• Slower healing of wounds.
• Internal bleeding that may cause stroke or death.
• Patients receiving chemotherapy that injures the heart may have heart failure after Avastin treatment.
• Avastin may cause kidney damage.
• Patients taking Avastin may also experience high blood pressure, fatigue, blood clots in veins, diarrhea, headache, appetite loss, and sores in the mouth.